Jan 1 (Reuters) - France carried out air strikes early on Friday against oil sites in Syria near Islamic State's stronghold of Raqqa, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said during a visit to a military base in Jordan.

France was the first country to join U.S.-led air strikes in Iraq. Since the Nov. 13 attacks on Paris, it has increased its aerial bombing of Islamic State in Syria, focusing on Raqqa and oil-related targets.

"I have had feedback from the overnight operations, we must continue in that direction," Le Drian told soldiers and reporters at the Jordan base from which Mirage 2000 jets took off in the early hours of Friday to conduct the air strikes. (Reporting by Marine Pennetier; writing by Ingrid Melander; editing by Jason Neely)